Planting Garlic

It is mid October, in fact we just got our first snow in Colorado. Almost everything in the garden is dead, in spite of everything being dead there is work to be done. The most important chore to be done in the garden is the fact that the garlic needs to be planted. Planting the garlic is a simple chore, but one that should be done in the fall. Waiting for spring can result in small bulbs, or in no bulb development at all. Planing garlic is perfectly fine in the spring, but you chance not getting a great harvest.

Seed Garlic ready to have the paper skins removed

 Firsts things first.  You will most likely have to buy your seed garlic either from a company or from the grocery store.  If you don't care what kind of garlic you are planting you can just buy garlic from the store and plant it.  I've done it and it works.

Dug up and ready for step 3.

 Next dig up the spot you are going to plant you garlic in.  I currently have garlic in 2 different spots and I'm looking for a third spot.

This is Elephant Garlic I bought the parent plants to these bulbs at my local supermarket.  Here it is separated and ready to go in the ground. 

I had to switch spots while doing this tutorial.  The other spot was getting a little shady and cold.  So I moved to my second spot had my darling husband dig up a 2'x15' section of the garden.  I broke up all of the dirt clods and raked it smooth.  I then took the hoe and dug in about 1 inch and made 2 rows.  The rows are 1 foot apart.  Next plant the garlic.  The garlic needs to be pointy end up with the pointy end about 1 inch under the soil the cloves should be 6 inches apart.

The rows are better seen in the picture.  After I planted the garlic I added a top dressing of composted horse manure.  Garlic is a heavy feeder, meaning that it will suck everything it can out of the ground.  I make sure to add compost to the ground when I plant, as the garlic is growing and after I've harvested. 

The soil has been raked over the trenches, and the manure is hidden ready to feed the garlic.

After the garlic is planted it needs to have mulch added to the top.  3 to 4 inches will do, I think I have 6 inches of straw added to the top of my garlic.  Now you are ready to start your own garlic.

I happened to get my garlic from Sustainable Seed Company.  This will be my first year growing anything from them, but if you would like to check them out here is the website.   http://sustainableseedco.com/home.php